


Hear the Bells

by RandyWrites



Series: AU: Magic Foster Family [5]
Category: Bombshells (Comics), DCU (Comics)
Genre: F/M, Gen, One Shot Collection, Tumblr Prompt, and plenty of time-hopping bc of that
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-11
Updated: 2019-01-21
Packaged: 2019-05-05 02:48:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 20,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14607606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RandyWrites/pseuds/RandyWrites
Summary: Based mostly off of DC Bombshells, here's a collection of one-offs collected from my tumblr for ao3 to enjoy.At a very young age, Raven was adopted by John Constantine and Zatanna Zatara. Here we get but a glimpse into their lives and adventures because of one, seemingly innocuous act.





	1. "So far from me now. But, oh, I can hear the sound..."

**Author's Note:**

> this first one is one of the few not based off a prompt given. instead its taken from a sudden inspiration after hearing Porter Robinson's "Hear the Bells" for the first time in awhile. which is where this fic gets it's title as well...

The first time she had met Jason, he had pulled her from the edge of a building.

Not that Raven was actually in danger, because she was getting ready to fly, of course. But it was a nice sentiment.

He was the new Robin, one that couldn’t have been much older than herself, unlike the previous one.

Now that Dick was clear across the country with his Titan team, with no intention of returning, Batman needed a new sidekick. Jason was filling the role.

But after working with Dick for a few years on a number of different missions, she was less than impressed. This kid was scrawny, unkempt, and most of all, clearly nervous about having ‘stopped’ her from ‘jumping’.

Probably because she had landed rather inconveniently right on top of him after his rescue attempt.

It didn’t take an empath to see his blush underneath the spray of freckles on his cheeks, or the apologies as his black curls bounced with every stutter, to understand the embarrassment that he felt. But it did take one to feel the underlying determination and concern he was filled with.

Raven had to admit, if she hadn’t been so annoyed by him initially, it might have been charming.

But she was 12, it had been a year since she lost one of her closest friends, who was terrible at keeping in contact with her, and to top it all off, her parents were going through a rather messy ‘break’ at the moment.

She couldn’t stand when John and Zatanna were like this, trying not to project their resentment for each other while she was around, barely holding it in when she was in the room with them. The walls weren’t exactly thick, she still heard the yelling.

They were giving her emotional whiplash and it wasn’t the first time. Which was why she made her way to the roof of John’s apartment, with every intention of flying to one of the higher points in the city to meditate on what this change would mean.

And here was a boy in shining red, green and yellow, stopping her in her tracks, and making a fool of himself as he misremembered platitudes and misread the situation.

“I wasn’t going to jump,” she said finally, pushing herself off of him and dusting herself off as she made her way back to the ledge. She tried zipping her jacket higher around her neck, as the wind picked up. Not the best night to be flying, really, but at least she had planned a bit ahead and had her black hair braided back.

He grabbed her arm once more to stop her.

“No offense, but you were bending your knees,” Robin shot back defensively, “Looked like you were ready to jump to me.”

“I can fly, dumbass.”

“Yeah? So can I, but you don’t see me-”

“No. I can _literally_ fly.”

One eye of his domino mask raised in tandem with his eyebrow, skeptical. “Just so you know, I have all night. There’s literally _nothing_ else that I need to do-”

“Oh for- ETATIVEL!” Zee’s magical shortcuts were something that didn’t come as naturally for Raven. But they certainly helped in situations like these. And seeing the new boy wonder’s jaw drop as she floated above his head was certainly priceless.

She started sinking as her Intent with the spell waned. More of a parlor trick, really. _Her_ magic was something that required… a bit more _soul_ , so to speak.

“Now if you don’t mi-”

He reached for her arm again. Dammit, didn’t he realize that she didn’t want to be here?

“I know that look.” For the first time that night, his face looked absolutely serious, and his aura screamed a kind of sadness that Raven realized mirrored her own at the moment. It was older, though, as if it was a bit aged, but still very similar. “You’re running away from something.”

“Glad to see Batman’s making more excellent detectives,” she sneered, yanking her arm out of his grip. It was a front, learned from John. Act unpleasant enough, and most people knew when to leave well enough alone.

Not this one, though.

“Look, um, you don’t have to talk about it, or whatever but-”

Not too far off, Divinity Church’s bells chimed the hour, just loud enough to silence the boy. 10 o’clock. The night was still oh-so-very young.

“Message understood, boy wonder.” She turned away from him a final time.

But as she began focusing herself once more, bending her knees slightly in preparation for a take off, she still felt him projecting behind her. Something she could only pin as being forlorn.

It was a split decision before she found herself sighing in exasperation and sitting on the ledge instead of jumping. One leg hanging off the side, the other hugged close to her chest, she pat the spot next to her.

“Alright, take a seat. You said you have all night, right?”

She never turned back to see his initial reaction, but the boy was grinning ear to ear. Satisfied, and happy to helpful. She wouldn’t admit it till years later, but she was grateful he had stepped up when he did.


	2. "Laugh at my jokes!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bad jokes & puns ahead.... you've been warned...

Why do ghosts and demons get along?”

John watched as his seven-year-old’s face scrunched in thought and bit back a smile as she answered him with a genuine guess. Sure, dry wit and sardonic humor was his usual go-to, but he’d held off for too long on the simpler kinds of comedy. There was enough cynicism and negativity to be found in the world without him adding to it, and he’d raised Raven long enough now to be able to tell when it was getting to be a little much for her.

So why not interject a little joke in the middle of a lesson?

“Close, but not quite,” John said, “It’s because demons are a _ghoul’s_ best friend.”

She stared at him for a moment, eyes wide, long enough for him to wonder whether or not she had understood the joke. Then she pushed her chair back, got up, and left the room without a word.

He chuckled incredulously to himself for a moment before chasing after her. Just what was _that_ about?

…

“Whats a ghost’s favorite dessert?”

Raven looked up from her book and quirked an eyebrow at her dad, suspicious of what he must be holding behind his back. She was giving him the silent treatment after the stunt he pulled during their morning lesson, but she could sense his regret and concern and… something she couldn’t quite place.

Still, pulling a joke from left field? And not giving her time to prepare? She felt like a _fool_ and did _not_ want to forgive him just yet. She had her guards up now.

Several beats into their impromptu staring contest, John decided enough was enough and pulled his peace-offering from behind his back.

“Boo-berry pie.”

Raven felt her lip quirk for a moment, but forced it back. Taking the fork and pie from his hands, she left the kitchen table and went to her room, quietly shutting the door behind her.

And with the door closed, she finally let herself snicker for a moment. ‘Boo-berry pie? Dad’s trying _way_ too hard.’

She dug into the treat anyways.

…

“How do ghosts keep fit?”

This time Raven rolled her eyes at him. “C'mon Dad, give it a rest.”

“No. How do ghosts keep fit?”

“ _Exorcising_ regularly,” she sighed.

He blinked in shock before bursting into laughter.

“Dad, please-”

“No. Laugh at my jokes! They’re funny and you know it!”

“They’re really _not_.”

…

They hadn’t talked for the rest of the afternoon after that incident. It wasn’t _really_ like she hurt his feelings or anything, she was a child after all. And upon some honest reflection, he realized fairly quickly that he must have taken her off-guard. That would explain the silent treatment and general cattiness. He had made sure to apologize to her and then gave her the space she clearly needed.

But he hadn’t quite expected her own ‘apology’ so soon when she joined him in the library after dinner that day.

“Hey Dad, did you hear about the shoe-stealing demon?”

“Don’t think I have, luv,” John answered. He hadn’t looked up yet from the rune he had been designing, and added one last sketch before turning to give her his full attention.

“It’s collected a lot of _soles_ , from what I hear.”

He paused in setting the supplies aside, and began cackling.

“Did you just-” He started laughing once more, unable to even get a full sentence out, and Raven _finally_ joined him.


	3. "Hold Still."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sticker burrs are the WORST

Tears spilled from puffy red eyes as John tried to remove the burrs from her hands. Raven, now ten years old, had shown great aptitude for flight through telekinesis, but lacked some control over her landings. John had warned her before she took off that they’d have better luck investigating _La Llorona_ by staying close to the site where the witnesses had seen the regional phantom.

But seeing as how they had been following the path of the witness, Raven had gotten the bright idea to stay 'on path’ and fly the rest of the way down the same cliffside that the witness had fallen (& luckily survived). Only for her endeavor to end in a patch of what locals called 'sticker burrs’.

It was almost comical, really, how they covered nearly every inch of her hands. But John had been quick to silence his laughter as soon as he saw the tears in her eyes.

“Hold still,” he scolded, as tweezers carefully plucked the offending burrs from her skin.

“You _could_ be a little gentler, you know,” she sniffled, yelping as he tugged another free.

“Sorry, luv, but I did warn you, didn’t I? No need to go running off when we don’t know the lay of the land.”

“Yeah, but I didn’t even go that far,” she scowled as he finished with her left hand, and winced as she tried flexing it, little cuts irritating the surface of her skin. She _could_ try to focus on spending a little energy on healing them, but she’d felt it was at least partially deserved for her brashness.

“And look what that got you.”

They sat a moment in relative quiet, cicadas screeching in the oak and cedar around them. Adding to the cacophony of noise, the stream rushed with the strength of a rare summer rain, and a few birds made their own nightly cries. Though they had argued over it on their first night of this investigation, Raven swore she had seen a bat or two flying against the breeze. She held onto her smug satisfaction when she spotted another one flapping away, recalling how a waitress had confirmed over breakfast that bats were much more common to the area than one would think.

It was always nice to have little reminders of home.

“How could anyone hear a lady crying over those things, anyways?” Raven wondered aloud as John finished taking out the last burr.

“Well, that’s what we’re here to find out, now isn’t it?” John snapped the tweezers back into the form of toothpicks and stuffed them in his pockets. “Now this time, _stay close_. Time to stop following the locals and start following the legend.” And with that John led them forward, using the stream as a guide.

Raven gave the burr plant a small turn of her heel before running to follow him. She was allowed to be a _little_ vindictive from time to time.


	4. "Run for it!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the one with the gratuitous Harry Potter reference

Robin dove forward, narrowly avoiding the globs of mud that the villain threw his way. “Is that all you got, Clayface?! Try and hit me, ya boob!”

Okay, maybe he shouldn’t be egging on the former actor like this, but Nightwing asked for a distraction.

Key word being _asked_.

As much as Jason respected the hell out of Dick, he _definitely_ wasn’t the boss of him. Bruce had made it very clear before they started patrol that night that they were to work together as _partners_. A prospect that Jason found incredibly amusing, considering the 16-year-old had flown in from clear across the country to try and recruit some prospective teen heroes along the east coast for his Titan team.

One of those heroes being Jason’s _preferred_ partner, Raven.

Granted, Raven wasn’t in Gotham often enough for them to team up as much as he’d _like_ , but she was still the most kick-ass teammate he’d had so far. They’d been in enough scrapes together in the past year to be on the same wavelength in thought, and in so many ways she had helped him to become a better, more empathetic hero.

Being Robin was absolutely magical, but partnering up with Raven? Positively enchanting.

So imagine his surprise when she had shown up, mid-patrol, to berate the two of them for missing out on a very obvious attack from ( _formerly_ ) reformed villain Basil Karlo, aka Clayface, and partners new and old were found teaming up _all together_ for the first time.

As the teen wonder hid behind a car for a moment’s reprieve, he wondered what Karlo must have wanted at the Miagani Botanical Gardens. It wasn’t like there was anything to steal, or anything especially rare to be found now that Isley had relocated the harder-to-care-for plants.

But maybe it didn’t matter. Maybe he was just there to wreck things.

He spotted Raven phasing herself and Nightwing through the wall of the building, the older hero quickly flinging a few of his freeze disks at the creature before she phased them back in. Robin took the opportunity as Clayface began to turn, to freeze his arm and legs in place.

Never a fool-proof plan when it came to taking him down, but it was their best shot.

Raven appeared at his side then with Nightwing in tow. “I don’t think that’ll-”

Clayface broke free before she could get the warning out. Nightwing turned to the younger duo.

“Run for it!”

He vaulted himself over the hood of the car, hurling another disk at the creature.

“Hop on!” Robin ordered after calling the R-cycle over. Raven’s arms wrapped securely around his waist as he revved the engine.

“Founder’s Island, Dad’s office!” She yelled over it’s roar. Robin didn’t have to think twice about it, they’d worked well-enough before for him to tell she had a plan now.

…

“I know it’s here, agh!” Raven made a mess of her foster father’s workspace (or at least more of a mess than it usually was), searching for something.

“Can’t you just, _accio_ whatever it is so we can go help Dick?”

“I’ll get right on that, Dork Knight,” Raven shot back as she rifled through a drawer. “Aha! You kept the engine running right?”

“Yeah. _Now_ do you mind letting me in on the plan?”

Raven held up an amulet that Robin didn’t recognize. Then again, as with most of the things she dealt with, he’d had yet to fully understand even a _fraction_ of the side of reality that she seemed to operate in. The designs on the object were intricate, and he supposed it would probably hold some value even merely as an artifact.

“Dad nicked this off of Killer Frost during one of his team-ups with the League. I need you and Nightwing to keep Clayface busy and lure him closer to here so I can set a trap. This should be powerful enough to freeze him in place.”

Breaking into a grin, Robin picked the girl up in a quick, twirling hug. “Raven, that’s perfect!”

“No time for premature celebration, boy blunder! Get moving!” He couldn’t help noticing the light blush that graced her face as he set her back down and raced out the door.

Just before he was out of earshot, he heard Constantine’s voice yelling behind him, “I just cleaned that!”

He was sure Raven wasn’t going to be in as much trouble over _this_ , as she will be for bringing Gotham’s most well-known mud monster home.


	5. "I'm too sober for this."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the one with the gratuitous Disney World reference

Nervously peeling the label off of her bottle, Raven’s mind raced trying to connect the series of events that led up to this most recent visit with her parents and her boyfriend. It wasn’t like Jason hadn’t met them before, but this dinner was the first time he’d been invited over after they had become a couple.

Well, as an _official_ couple at least, they’d had plenty of dinners ‘definitely as friends’ while visiting various family members and teammates.

But right now, Raven seriously considered breaking it off as he took Zatanna up on her (at first joking) offer to go through the family’s photo album. It was a cliché Zee had long ago admitted was something she’d wanted to cross off her list.

Raven never wished more desperately in her life that she could go back in time and let herself burn the candids they had taken of her on their first trip to the Magic Kingdom when she had had the chance.

“You’d think after spending a hot minute in Hell, she’d be ready for the _Haunted Mansion_ -” John laughed as they got to one posed picture of him kneeling next to the girl in front of the ride. Raven’s face back then simply was _not_ pleased.

“I was _seven_ and could _feel_ everyone’s fear as they got on and off,” she argued back. Zatanna just shook her head and chuckled, turning to Jason once more.

“She wanted to ride the _Stitch_ one at least three more times before she said we’d get her in the Mansion.”

“And did you?” Jason asked, “I’ve about given up on trying to bargain with her on anything.”

“Well…” Zatanna flipped the pages, “I know it’s here-”

“Mom, please not the-”

“Wait, Zee, you just passed it! There!”

John’s finger pointed at another candid of a tiny Raven sitting rigid and uncomfortable in her seat, the one right next to it a blurry mess of a jumpscare shot. “The thing about this one? It was the bloody _ride_ _attendant_ that gave her the scare!”

“I’m too sober for this,” Raven sighed before finishing her beer, “Anyone need another drink? I’m getting more drinks.”

Rummaging through the drawers to find the bottle opener, Raven bit back a smile reminiscing on those same memories. Sure, it was a little weird feeling slight embarrassment over how much John and Zee doted on her, but it was a little satisfying too. Because she knew that Jason wouldn’t hold too much of it against her. He’d never judge her for how she had behaved as a child, and she’d always return that expectation.

Their whole relationship had been built on that mutual understanding, after all.

So even as he laughed alongside her parents at the ridiculous anecdotes they had from one of their earliest family vacations, Raven could sense the love he held in his heart and the curiosity in his soul for wanting to learn more about her.

She blushed a bit. It really was love, wasn’t it? And in the simplest of things usually. She’d have to remember to show him just how much this really meant to her, despite this act she had been putting on for most of the night.

To think, she’d almost had them stay in.


	6. "I think you're actually Satan."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the one with more cameos

Gently pushing the door handle, Raven frowned as it opened with ease. A suspicious amount of ease, actually. She could feel the tinge of excitement in the air, practically electrifying it as she felt a few particularly strong auras within the millhouse.

Something was amiss, something she really should’ve seen coming.

But, breathing in deeply, she decided to play along.

“Dad? You here?” She flicked on a light, unsurprised by the cheers as John, Chas and Zed welcomed her home.

But even with that bit of preparation, Raven had to fight herself not to jump out of her skin as party streamers were popped. She wasn’t able to stop herself from forming a shield of energy against them as they gently floated down.

Chas was the first to let out a low chuckle. “Told you a surprise party would be a bit much.”

Lowering her shield with a blush of embarrassment, Raven set her bags down as Zed made her way closer to the teen. John argued back with his oldest friend, “Nonsense, she’s had worse reactions than this to surprises.”

Zed engulfed the girl in a welcoming hug, before stepping back and placing her hands on the girl’s shoulders. They were nearly the same height, now that Raven finally had a growth spurt during their time apart.

“Look at you, you’re shooting up like a tree.”

“Alright, Zed, that’s enough. Let me give my daughter a hug, will you?” Constantine broke the two apart and picked Raven up in a quick, twirling hug. Raven laughed as she felt his joy in the reunion, but then scowled at he set her back down.

“You know, I think you’re actually Satan,” she said with an unwavering glare.

“Because I wanted to throw my girl a homecoming party, and congratulate her on all she’s accomplished with her team?” John quirked an eyebrow.

“Would you consider forgiving me if I told you Chas made waffles and picked up your favorite ice cream?”

Raven hefted her bags back over her shoulder, off to find a room to place them in for the time being. “No, but I’d start to seriously consider asking _him_ to adopt me.”

She smiled as she heard Chas’ barking laugh.

Sure, it had been a year and then some, and she knew they were just as busy as she had been with her own team. But she was grateful for their welcome party nonetheless. She had missed them as much as they clearly missed her. She _was_ partly-human, after all.


	7. "Does he know about the baby?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the one that i wrote with third eye blind's "10 days late" going on repeat in the background

“How long has he been gone now?” Constantine asked, taking a drag from his cigarette before thinking better of it and snuffing it out.

The movement wasn’t lost on her, and Raven decided to make note of it rather than answer his question.

“I’ve been breathing your secondhand smoke all my life, you know,” she crossed her arms, relaxing back into her seat now that the worst of their conversation was out of the way. Definitely better than how she’d been a minute or two ago, twisting her wedding ring and only able to half-form sentences. “It’s never hurt me, and it’s probably not going to make much of a difference now.”

“Does he know about the baby?” he pressed, ignoring her. Half-demon blood (or, he guessed, in the baby’s case, quarter-demon) be damned, John knew better than to smoke around pregnant women.

Pregnant.

His daughter, pregnant?

Sure, he’d been to their wedding. Hell, he’d had _that_ particular chat with Raven when she was old enough, as uncomfortable as it had been for the both of them.

But it just… never occurred to him that she might…

“Jason left a week ago with Roy and Kori. I didn’t start getting suspicious till a few days ago. I’ve…” Raven sighed, massaging her temple. A habit picked up from Zatanna. “I’ve been working up the nerve to call him and tell him the news. But..”

“You don’t want to worry him and interrupt his mission, yeah?”

“I was honestly hoping Mom would be here for this… No offense, Dad.”

“Trust me, Rae, I wish Zee were here too. But when an alien’s attacking the Watchtower…”

They let the thought trail off, sitting in the silence of what this revelation brought. Through the years, Raven had learned to control projecting her emotions. But even with that control, he still found himself able to feel the small, familiar slips that she let around those she was most comfortable with.

But there was no fear, no apprehension. In fact, there was a spark of excitement, of joy, of…

John smiled.

Of hope. As plain as the day she’d fully realized that a destiny, a prophecy, was merely another con. Another manipulation that could be a means to an end. And one that she’d learn to fully take advantage of.

And now here they were, in that future that seemed so far off and away at the time. With a whole world, a whole new life of possibly ahead of them.

“Well, you’ve got a couple options ahead of you, but for now,” John picked himself up off of the couch, making his way into the kitchenette in his flat.

“Time to bring out the good gin, eh? And maybe some juice for you?”

“What, like I’m six again?” Raven snorted, “If it’ll make you feel better.” She placed both hands on either side of her head in realization.

“God, I’m going to go _nine_ _months_ without alcohol.”

“Stop being so dramatic, you hardly touch the stuff as it is,” John said, tapping one of her hands with the glass as he raised his own. “To you, Jason, and this wonderful new life you two will be raising.”

Raven raised her glass. “And one that I’m sure you and Mom will take great pleasure in spoiling, eh, _Grandpa_?”

Choking on his drink, John tried to compose himself as Raven downed hers like it was a shot.


	8. Breaking the News

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a general request for a follow up on the previous chapter

Glancing over his shoulder one more time to be sure that Roy and Kori weren’t listening in, Jason adjusted his earbuds till they were snug and Raven’s voice rang loud and clear through them. The train car was empty, save for his partners-in-moral-ambiguity, but why take the chance on them eavesdropping?

Especially seeing as she wasn’t usually one to videochat over the phone, at least if it could be helped. He wasn’t sure what to expect.

“Everything okay? Me ‘n the Outlaws have one more stop before-”

“Jason, I’m-”

…

He remembered the first time he realized he had fallen in love with her.

The feeling had always been there, of course. Since that first night he stopped her from ‘not jumping’.

But fully accepting those feelings?

That had come almost too late.

Only a month or two before he went and got himself killed.

An even shorter time just before she went and circumvented her 'fate’.

And it was such a simple thing. When she joined their group meeting when they had been Titans. She was a little late, but jumped right into the flow of the conversation. Charm and wit and sly smiles. He realized he had fallen _hard_ for her.

But they were best friends at the time. It wouldn’t do to go and ruin any of that.

…

Roy was laughing and cheering, asking if he’d read Raven’s lips right before giving Jason his congratulations. Kori commandeered his phone, demanding details from her best friend.

How long had she known? Who else knew so far? What-

Jason could only sit, mouth agape, still trying to register what she’d said.

…

He remembered the first time he’d told her he loved her.

Not in their usual way of casually dropping it. Not like how it was when they’d _just_ been friends.

He’d taken her hand. He’d made sure she was looking at him straight in the eyes. He’d nearly choked on it, whispered like a prayer, barely able to help himself with this ultimate confession.

He didn’t care to remember what had transpired after.

…

When Kori was satisfied with the answers Raven provided, she finally surrendered the phone back to it’s rightful owner. Roy made a comment about clearing out the dining car’s liquor supply to celebrate. They finally gave the couple a moment’s peace.

“A-are you sure that-”

“Triple checked,” she sighed. “I’m definitely pregnant.”

…

He’d be the first to admit he didn’t remember the wedding so much.

John made a speech at the reception, some kind of morbid exorcism joke that only got laughs from those who really _knew_ him. Bruce’s speech had been much more successful, but also more… intimate, for him.

But he definitely remembered not being able to take his eyes off of her. And that feeling waking up the next day and all the days after. Being able to put on his ring and have a reminder of who he’d come home to.

His best friend. His favorite partner. His wife.

…

Jason finally broke into a smile. “Screw the mission, Kori and Roy can call up a Leaguer or a Titan or something. I’m coming home.”

She shook her head at him, but relented. “Alright, Dork Knight, you better make it back in one piece or-”

“Or you’ll kill me when I get home. Roger that.”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”


	9. Pancakes

He hadn’t been sure what to make of the scene at first. John hadn’t seen his father in decades. And yet something visceral had been awoken in him as he had stepped through a doorway into his childhood home, and right into the sight of his father planted in front of the telly. A beer in hand and little notice paid at the sound of the door slamming shut, typical of his old man.

The hinges to the kitchen door never _had_ been fixed, in all the years they had spent in that god-forsaken house. They creaked deafeningly as John went to check that they were truly alone.

John felt his stomach drop when he returned to the living room to see his father still firmly planted in his seat. Fears confirmed.

He didn’t have time for this nonsense! He’d been on his way to…

No.

That errand had been forgotten now.

Long forgotten.

Especially as his father began to rise from his seat, fully facing Constantine. And then he felt like he was eight years old again.

The familiar fear from that time began to flood his body as his father opened his mouth and began letting out inhuman screeches. Mechanical, threatening, and above all, earsplitting.

Something tugged at his consciousness, this screeching certainly must mean something was amiss, but John was caught up in the moment. His father inched closer and closer, until the man was grabbing his arm and-

John felt himself finally awake with a start, blue eyes meeting tear-filled amethyst ones.

A dream. A nightmare. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Well, except for the screeching that had followed him out of the dream, and the two distinct burning smells that were surrounding him now. One that was sickly sweet, and one that was very sharply metallic.

“I’m so, so sorry, Daddy! I wanted to make you breakfast but the pancakes burned, but then they wouldn’t stop burning and the bloody alarm went off and you weren’t waking up and-”

“Bloody hell! Is the flat on fire?” John scooped up his eight-year-old as he followed the burning smell back to the kitchen. He set her down and shut off a burner, trying to take stock of the mess she had made.

Dishes and flour weren’t everywhere, per se. But it seemed in Raven’s panic, many items had been misplaced, mostly finding new homes on the floor.

The father kicked the mixing bowl aside as he opened a drawer for a dish towel.

“For Christ’s sake! Open a window, Raven! Get the smoke clear!”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean-”

“Apologies later, pet! The smoke!”

She squinted her eyes in concentration, hands extended out directly in front of her. An aura around the locks, a flash in time with the flick of her hands, and suddenly the windows were pushed open.

A little too forcefully as the glass broke within the panes.

John was almost tempted to begin rubbing his temple, had his hands not been occupied with the towel. A feeble attempt to fan away the smoke, sure, but one that needed to be made as he was the only one tall enough to reach for the censor.

“Raven?”

“Yes?” she asked quietly, wincing a bit at his tone and feeling the exact mix of emotions he was trying his damnedest not to fully project.

“Since _when_ were you able to do _that_?”

The girl clutched her hands close to her chest then. Not as if she were afraid of the power, but rather cautious of it.

“Um. Winter? Mommy’s been helping me, but I…”

“Gone on, pet,” he encouraged. The alarm shut itself down, satisfied that the air quality had improved to it’s usual, vaguely smokey, quality.

“I, uh, wanted to surprise you,” she gulped and her face turned pink as she smiled sheepishly. “For Father’s Day.”

John’s brow furrowed in confusion. He glanced at a clock, which betrayed him by only telling the time. He glanced at the calendar, realizing he’d forgotten to keep track of time with it only a few days after the _last_ time Raven had been with him. That was nearly a month ago.

He ripped the page off, trying to take mental stock of what had happened between all those days she’d been gone. He needed to be sure that he had the date right.

“Zee was supposed to bring you back Wednesday, though,” John said as he brushed his index finger around the mark on the calendar. Bright red ink that read, ’ _Girls Return from Tour_ ’, with a small smiley face that Raven had added after.

“The _Yoga Pants Club_ called for her.”

John blinked for a moment, before breaking into a smile and snickering.

“That’s reason enough, eh? Let’s see what we can do about these pancakes then.”

“So…” Raven stepped cautiously in line with her father figure as he began to clear some of the dishes she had used to mix the batter. “I’m… not in trouble then?”

He mussed her hair a moment. “Only if you don’t help clean up this mess and make me the best damn pancakes to be found on this side of the pond!”

She laughed, running a hand back through her hair to straighten it out once more. “You mean it?”

“Absolutely. ’s not every day I learn my girl’s got a knack for telekinesis!”

Without another word on the matter, the duo set to work salvaging what was left of the batter. John was grateful for what the moment was, allowing the nightmares of his life before fatherhood to wash away from him.

It wasn’t always peaceful, but it was something to be content with. If only for the moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for fathers day, forgot to post it sooner so have it now lmao


	10. "I was so scared."

Okay. So getting caught had been a really stupid part of the plan. He’d probably be admitting that much at a later date.

Assuming he made it out alive, of course.

But now certainly wasn’t the time to be panicking about that.

Robin kept his eyes on the walls, watching shadows that moved in the absolutely _wrong_ direction, dance with a slow, measured grace.

He’d only half been listening when Penguin got back in his face, demanding the 11-year-old’s attention.

“Were you even _listening_ bird brat?” Penguin sneered, tobacco and sardines laced on his breath. It was overpowering enough to make the Boy Wonder gag.

“Sorry to say it, Penguin,” Robin grinned, throwing the villain off-guard, “But it’s _bats_ that are the ones with the great hearing!”

The shadow swallowed the pair up dramatically, Penguin’s thugs gasping in fear before the duo disappeared before their eyes.

A few stepped onto the platform, others looked around comically as if they had merely been shifted over and might be found among them still.

After several beats of silence, one of the thugs finally spoke.

“So… do we wait for Mr. Cobblepot or…?“

…

Meanwhile, mere yards below the hideout, the Penguin found himself dumped, unconscious, onto the ground. The Boy Wonder was freed, and Raven, eyes glowing white, stepped out of the shadows as they drew themselves around her.

“Bats?” she asked as the glow faded from her eyes, turning them a clear sky blue. She rested a hand on his shoulder to steady herself a moment, before just as quickly taking it away.

“To throw them off,” Robin explained, running a hand through his mussed hair. “I’ve been saving that cue for Batman for the longest time, but he’s never given me the chance to use it. Me ‘n Batgirl will come up with some for…” his voice trailed off as he recognized the look on her face.

Wide eyes, creased eyebrows, nervous fiddling. She was unnerved.

And he wasn’t absolutely sure he could pinpoint why. He wasnt even sure if he’d be able to ask, certainly not as delicately as Babs would have. But in a split second, he’d already made up his mind, by nudging her shoulder with his own.

“Hey, whats up? You’re real quiet for someone who just saved the Boy Wonder’s butt.”

The young empath stared at him, before sighing and taking a seat on the ground. Cross-legged and placing her head in hands, Robin could only read her mood as _exasperated_.

He only mirrored her movements and sat beside her, waiting for an answer.

“Whatever you do,” he said, after it became evident that she wasn’t going to talk anytime soon, “Don’t smile when you tell me. In fact, definitely don’t tell me or anyone else. In FACT-” he barely held back a grin as he saw his teasing begin to crack her shields. He lifted a hand to start poking her shoulder, punctuating every one of his points with each poke. “You should probably never, _ever_ talk _again_ for the _rest_ of _eternity_. And a few _years_ after for _good mea_ -”

“I was so scared!” she blurted, grabbing his hand to stop an incoming poke. Robin could feel her wave of relief flood his body at the confession, her empathy was still something that took him some getting used to.

“So?” he shrugged, “I’m scared almost all the time, too. Almost every time we face something new and different from uhhh, I guess the norm? What is normal for us anyway-”

“Robin, please,” the girl gave him another look, and he knew to drop the subject.

It didn’t leave much for him to pick up with. And after a minute of racking his brain thinking of a way to comfort her, he settled on distraction, and stood up from their seats on the ground.

“Well, we’ve got a Penguin to cage, wouldn’t you say?” He offered his hand to help her up, waiting patiently as she considered it. “Batman and Zatanna and Constantine may not be happy about it, but at least _these_ birds got _their_ bird!”

Raven rolled her eyes, finally accepting his hand.

“You’re a dork,” she said with finality, as if fully accepting the statement for the first time.

And, likely, not for the last.


	11. Summer-Spring Cleaning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt for a father-daughter moment, and an excuse to bring up constantine's old band

The young empath pursed her lips in disapproval as she checked the book’s printing date, finding yet another marked for the late 80s. Old, but nowhere near old enough. She added it to one of their piles with another frown.

“I know why you’re doing this,” Raven said, thumbing through a particularly dusty tome. No print date. Possibly old enough.

“And just what might I be _doing_ , pet?” He’d taken to his daughter’s new favorite term of endearment ever since she’d hit her ’ _save_ love _for special moments_ ’ phase at around age eleven.

That had been little over a year ago.

She was silent now. And Constantine decided to take that silence as a sign of deliberation, choosing not to press any further yet. He rolled up his sleeves before reaching down for a heavy stack of books, straining to keep them balanced as he took them just outside of their library.

Well… it was more of an extremely cramped study. But that was why they were clearing out all of these books. Spring cleaning. (Sure, it was almost _August_ , but who was counting?) An opportunity to clear away some of the old, and bring in something new.

They’d even brought in fans to cool themselves down from the heatwave that rolled into Gotham just that morning. And it was only going to get worse in the coming days, from what they could gather.

“You’re trying to distract me,” she said accusingly. “From Robin leaving, from you and Mom, from these stupid-” She took a breath, recognizing her anger rising as cold, black tendrils swirled dangerously around her hands. Now wasn’t the time to get angry. Not when Dad was being so calm about everything.

A bit too nonchalant, though, considering the fight he and Zatanna had a few nights before.

But that was neither here nor there.

No, right now she was supposed to be helping him clear the library of unnecessary books and scrolls. Anything that was outdated was to be donated or sold, unless it was positively ancient. Those kinds of books always ended up being the only thing standing between life and death. Or at least, they usually did, as Raven had had many opportunities to find out.

She decided to focus on that thought, picking up another book as John took another of her piles. Perhaps she’d stumble upon a collection of forgotten fables, or even something entirely new that she hadn’t had the chance to peruse yet.

For example, this book she chose now looked fairly new. Though, it seemed less like a book of mysticism and more one of mindfulness and spirituality. She flipped through it’s pages, a polaroid falling out as she did so.

Reaching for the picture, she dropped the book in shock as she recognized a few faces. Seeing, but certainly not believing, the outrageous punk fashion each member of the photo was wearing, she quickly flipped the photo over, hoping to find answers for her suspicions.

“ _Mucous Membrane_?” she quietly read aloud, listing off the year the photo had (presumably) been taken, as well as each name listed as being present in the picture.

“Dad! Is this really you?” She shoved the polaroid in John’s face then, pointing at the young blonde in the middle.

Constantine took the photo from her hand. He stared at it before letting out a short laugh, shaking his head incredulously. “Well, I’ll be… I was a bloody dead-ringer for _Sting_ after all, wasn’t I?” He shook his head some more in disbelief. “Never did believe ‘em…”

“What the hell was _Mucous Membrane_?” Raven demanded, crossing her arms impatiently.

“Believe it or not, lil’ bird, your old man ran with a pretty rockin’ crew back in the day. We were going for an experimental punk sound, but we were complete shite, honestly.” He shook his head with another laugh, “Only made one bloody record if I remember right. I’m sure I’ve got it hidden away somewhere.”

“You were in a band?” Raven raised an eyebrow at him, “But you can’t even sing.”

“Yeah, and neither can you, ya lil’ tone-deaf songbird,” he mussed her hair before picking up the book she had dropped and inspecting it’s back cover. “Must’ve gotten it from me, seeing as how Zee was the one with…” He shook his head, smile beginning to fade, and focused once more on the book.  
His eyes lit up in a flash of recognition.

“No wonder! I think one of my old bandmates must’ve given me this after…” His smile slowly faded completely then.

There it was, that familiar wistfulness and sorrow that danced in the back of his psyche, now back in full force. And Raven knew then, with things that had been said and insults that had been hurled, that this was meant to be as much of a distraction for her dad as it was for her.

She gently took the book from John’s hands, placing it back on the shelf to be sorted later, and took his hand.

“I don’t care about the heat, we’re making tea and you’re going to tell me every damn thing about this band of yours,” she commanded, “Starting with _where_ in all _nine circles of hell_ you came up with _Mucous Membrane_ for your band’s name!”


	12. 'Soda'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt for cassrae & soda. they're cute, and also in Consideration for the new End Game of this AU  
> but we'll see......

“Llifer htiw aloc-acoc, esaelp,” the sorceress politely asked the glasses set before them. Right on cue, the drinks were refilled, and Raven wrinkled her nose at the sugary beverage. She’d prefer even a strong coffee over something so sweet that early in the evening. But this dinner had been her parents’ idea (with Zatanna most likely footing the bill when it was all said and done), so there really was nothing to complain about.

Her father sat across from her, making a similar face at the drink, before taking out a flask and trying to oh-so-sneakily add a shot or two before he was satisfied with the mixed sugar-alcohol ratio. Ever shameless, Constantine nodded to himself in approval before turning attention to the girl at his daughter’s side.

Cassandra Cain-Wayne. Trained assassin, current Batgirl, prospective girlfriend of his adopted daughter’s.

It wasn’t like Raven had had much luck with any of the other Bats thus far. What with the painfully obvious crushes she had as a young child on the first Batgirl and Robin, the bitterly short flirtationship she’d had with the second Robin, and now her interest with this Batgirl before him. Her track record hadn’t been the best. But, he supposed, neither was his and Zee’s.

Granted, Cass seemed to be lasting a bit longer and trying the girl’s patience a lot less than the others before. Maybe they’d found a good balance with one another.

“So, Cassandra, correct me if I’m wrong,” John started, clapping his hands together to gain the teens’ attention. “You two met fairly soon after the, er, Cataclysm? Earthquake? Whatever the bloody hell they called it.” He waved a hand dismissively for a moment, waiting for an answer. “About last year, yeah?”

The Bat smiled at his nonchalance, nodding and signing a simple “Yes” for him.

That’s right, mute. He recalled then the other boy that his daughter had dated all-too-briefly the year before. Or had that been two years ago? Constantine worried for a second that maybe he’d set the wrong example after all, what with his own many, many affairs and flings over the years. He shook the thought from his head before it had the chance to dwell too long.

“And your big plan in life is to take over the, um, family business? Is that ri-? Ow!” The exorcist winced as he felt the sorceress’ elbow in his side and a quiet voice chiding him for having ‘all the subtlety of a bull in a china shop’. He rubbed the rapidly forming bruise at his ribs, feeling the heat of Raven’s glare and doing his best to ignore her projections of anger and embarrassment. He was her Dad afterall. What good was he if he didn’t embarrass her on occasion?

Zatanna turned then back to Cass, a Good Cop to Constantine’s Worse Cop.

“Raven told me you do ballet, Cassandra? I’d love to hear more about that!” She clasped her hands in front of her, leaning elbows firmly on the tabletop in interest.

Cass glanced sheepishly at her girlfriend. “So you DO talk about me?” she signed with a light blush.

“Of course,” Raven said, straightening her back and squeezing Cass’ hand tightly under the table. “I love talking about you, and I, uh, y'know…” The empath glanced at her parents’ raised eyebrows, face becoming flush as she remembered their presence.

She squeezed Cass’ hand once more, sending her another wave of pride and admiration that she was too embarrassed to form the words for.

She didn’t need her parents teasing her later over this mess, though it was bound to happen regardless. As slow as the older teens had been taking things, there was still a lot that the young empath knew she wanted to keep to themselves.

But meeting with the parents was certainly a step in the right direction towards becoming a more serious item. Or so Cass had insisted. And who was Raven to deny her girlfriend the wonderfully unique pleasure of meeting her parents?

Satisfied with her answer, the Bat began signing animatedly about ballet and martial arts, adding in anecdotes about her girlfriend’s attempts to reflect her interests, and their mutual understanding blooming from that first, early budding friendship. And for the first time in a few years, Constantine and Zatanna began to breathe a little easier, seeing their daughter growing and beginning to move on from a disastrous first love.

She’d finally learned how to live and move on from heartbreak. Now only time would tell if she’d learn how to maintain it.


	13. Car Wash

"-That's why Victor was the one who taught me how to drive," Raven explained as she soaked the sponge once more, "Dad straight up refuses to learn for himself, and Mom knows but doesn't use it much."

"You don't need it either," Cass pointed out as she buffed out a particularly bad bug smear on the hood.

Raven wasn't sure how she'd been roped into helping her girlfriend clean the Batmobile, but she knew she'd never hear the end of it from her _older brother_ if she didn't take her up on the offer. Vic would want all the details, and she felt some kind of obligation to give him some 'inside' knowledge after he'd helped her many a time on her research that summer.

"Flying takes a lot out of me," she argued, "and as easy as teleporting looks, it gets a lot worse with the more people I need to bring through." The empath shrugged her shoulders before scrubbing the windows. Cass was still too small to reach the roof of the cab, while Raven seemed to have finally reached very near her full height after hitting another growth spurt this year. They'd agreed to divide the work with Raven working high and Cass working low.

"Anyways, _you're_ turning seventeen next year, right? Any reason you _still_ don't have your learner's permit, yet?" Raven tried deflecting as she moved closer to the hood, Cass in turn inching further away as she scrubbed towards the other side of the car.

The Bat scrunched her face in distaste and stuck her tongue out at the mage, and Raven playfully turned the water hose back on with her telekinesis, spraying her in retaliation.

Cass laughed as she dodged the water, ducking out of sight behind the vehicle. Raven turned focus back to rinsing the sections they had finished before the soap had time to settle.

She always forgot how _absolutely huge_ the damn thing-

She let out a scream and then a laugh as Cass snuck behind her and tickled her sides, splashing water all around them as she lost control of the hose.

They laughed as Cass continued tickling her, Raven barely able to fight back with her sud-soaked sponge. Eventually the ninja reached up on her toes to steal a kiss from the mage, the barest brush of lips as the laughter died down.

The empath's face flushed, and she turned back to the task at hand, trying once more to steer the topic back on track.

"How do you expect to become _Batman_ if you can't even drive the _Batmobile_ , Cass?"

" _No laws_ ," she countered, practically singing the phrase, " _Only justice_."

Raven opened her mouth to fire a shot back, but paused.

It was something very similar to what _Jason_ would say.

Had it really been barely a year? Since everything had gone so right, and then oh-so-horribly wrong...

She'd faced one of the worst devils and circumvented fate, conned it out of manifesting the way so many had thought it would. And not even months later, she'd ended up losing such a big part of her world anyway... All due to brash decisions, and one of the worst beliefs in a _different_ kind of magic...

She felt Cass' warm hands on either side of her face then, straightening the empath to look her in the eyes. She could see concern etched in her girlfriend's hazel hues.

"I- I'm fine, you just- you just sounded so much- so much like-" Raven took a shaky breath, and then another. She let the emotion roll through her, settling as a familiar pit in her heart.

It would be allowed to linger, for only a few moments, and then it would asked to leave.

But it demanded to be felt, and just as Zatanna had taught her, she'd talk through the feeling with those that she trusted.

"You sounded like your brother for a second there," Raven said finally, smiling sadly.

Cass nodded in understanding, reaching for the empath's hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Tell me about Jason," she asked, eyes hardening, determined. " _Batmobile_ can wait."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> self-indulgent & starting to sort and hint at things for the timeline...


	14. Christmas Kiss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another prompt request from tumblr bc nows as good a time as any to update these ye?

Cassandra couldn’t  _definitively_  say that she had a  _favorite_  holiday.

New Year’s was fine. Valentine’s was sweet. She didn’t understand the purpose of St. Patrick’s. And Easter, often, was fun  _enough_.

Both Mother’s and Father’s Day would pass every year without too much fuss, and the Fourth was always well over-done at Wayne Manor.

Not nearly as over-the-top as the Holiday Ball, however.

No, winter time was when the Manor  _truly_  came to life. A tree in every room, a menorah in just as many windows, if not more. Decorations both tacky and tasteful littering the grounds in an unholy mixture of celebration and overcompensation.

At least, that’s what  _Jason_  told her,  _once_.

But even that ol’ humbug couldn’t quite keep himself from partaking in the holiday cheer.

And from the way Raven’s whole demeanor changed during the month of December, Cass was starting to understand why the wintertime was one of her girlfriend’s favorite times.

Up until this winter…

The Christmas Gala was winding down, many of Gotham’s elite were chauffeured away as waiters and waitresses were called for a last round of the eggnog. And now only the family and a few select guests were lingering. Many of which would be staying in one of the many guest rooms that Bruce had had remodeled over the years.

As Dick began weaving the tale of his first winter patrol, Cass stole glances down the hall, loosening her bowtie nervously. A suit to match her brothers’ had seemed the perfect choice at the time, now left her feeling a bit trapped as she waited.

Raven had excused herself from the conversation earlier, in order to answer a call on her cell. The Bat hadn’t seen or heard who the caller was, but from the crease in the empath’s brow, she’d be willing to bet it was Constantine.

Raven’s adopted father always seemed to have a  _knack_  for worrying her at the most inopportune times, after all.

Which was why, as soon as the Bat spotted the mage, her eyes puffy and nose red as she shuffled back down the hall, she shot out of her seat to meet the empath. Dick only raised his eyebrows at the movement, but pressed on with his story, as all eyes were trained almost solely on him. Cass ignored the few glances her rush earned, and took Raven’s hands in her own.

“What is it? What happened?” Cass said, reaching up to brush the empath’s hair aside.

“It’s Mom. Zatanna. She, uh,” Raven sniffed, shaking her head unconsciously, “Zee got between Dad and something, and uh… It’ll probably be fine, but John might not be, but-” Her hands were shaking as she made small movements with them. Cass took them once more in her own, slowly taking off one of the gloves the empath had adorned to accompany her gala gown.

“Share it,” Cass offered, taking the woman’s pale, bare hand in her own tan, calloused ones, “Don’t bear this burden alone.”

Raven gently laughed without humor, sniffling as she glanced up in exasperation.

“There’s, uh, mistletoe,” she observed, wiping a tear away carefully with her other gloved hand. And Cass followed her tear-filled gaze to the entranceway above them.

“Huh, I don’t remember Alfred putting that th-” The empath cut off her words with a firm kiss.

Warm, but desperate, Cass could feel all of the pain and guilt that she was trying to forget for the moment. The empath’s lips pressed a bit further, and the Bat happily obliged, deepening the kiss ever so slightly. Her hands instinctively reached around the taller woman’s neck then, and she felt Raven’s hands rest firmly on her hips.

That feeling of home settled around them. This familiar dance that they seemed to have practiced for nearly as long as Cass had known her. As quickly as she had fallen for the mystic, it had felt like a lifetime since. So many victories and losses, and so much hope in an ever uncertain future.

These thoughts and feelings were interrupted, however, as the part of Cass’ brain  _not_  preoccupied with her girlfriend, had finally registered her brother’s hooting and cheers.

She smiled, breaking away from the kiss, and nearly lifted her hand in a very rude, un-Christmas-like gesture for them. Until she saw the look on Bruce’s face, that subtle twinkle of pride and happiness for her. And she choose instead to take Raven’s hand as she blushed brightly, and led her towards the West wing.

There’d be time for her own family later. For now, she’d help Raven make sure hers were  _home_  and  _safe_ for the holidays.


	15. Books and Waffles

“Here is Edward Bear, coming downstairs now,” Constantine began, emphasizing each  _bump, bump, bump_ , and allowing every voice to follow a different quirk. He was damned regardless, but he’d perish even a hint of the thought that Raven would be sent off to sleep without a proper story-telling.

The six-year-old had lined up each of her stuffed toys along her bed and had chosen the  _Wonder Woman_  plush as her companion for the night. John would be lying if he’d said he wasn’t more than amused by the disdain that Zatanna held for the toy that was quickly becoming their daughter’s favorite. The girl hugged the plush close to her chest and was snuggling now against John’s as his voice rumbled throughout the room. Her laughter rolled with every bizarre noise and peculiar lilt in phrasing.

And slowly, through the many misadventures of a  _silly ol’ bear_ , she began to settle. Constantine could see her eyes growing heavier with each page turn, deepening sighs of contentment and dangerously contagious yawns as she started drifting.

When he’d finally reached the end of another chapter, he slowly started moving out of the bed, pulling the covers up higher around the girl’s shoulders, and giving her a quick peck on the forehead goodnight.

“Daddy, can we have waffles for breakfast?” she sleepily begged as he reached for the nightstand’s light.

“Keep eatin’ ‘em and one of these days you’ll turn  _into_  a waffle,” he chuckled, running a hand through her hair and smiling softly. “But how can I say no to a li'l angel like you, hmm?”

…

The ten-year-old swore up and down that she  _did not_  catch the flu from either of the Bat’s sidekicks. And John was inclined to believe her.

He wasn’t as inclined to believe that her only hope for a cure rested in those damn Eggos she kept asking for.

“ _Chicken and dumplings._  And if you finish ‘em, then we’ll see about getting those waffles,” Constantine bargained, handing the bowl gingerly to her. She stuck her tongue out in distaste for the food, but dove into it as he left for other supplies.

Just as he entered the room with more water and tissues, she called to him with a book in hand.

“Daddy, could you start this next one for me,” she asked sheepishly, sending it to him enveloped in her dark magic. “It’s… it’s bigger than the first ones. It’s intimidating,” she admitted.

The occultist held back the derisive snort he wanted to give, seeing his daughter’s choice in reading for the day.

“Are you sure about this one, luv? You know how Zee feels about this kind of magic lit-” “That’s exactly why I want _you_ to read it, Mommy won’t.”

She brought out the big amethyst puppy-dog eyes, and John’s heart melted. “Alright, I’ll help you start.” She smiled wide before another assault of coughing and sneezing began. When she finally settled, he cleared his throat and began reading.

“The villagers of Little Hangleton still call it  _The Riddle House_ ,” he drawled, settling into a comfortable rhythm as Raven’s spoon clinked against the bowl.

…

The fifteen year old had locked herself in her room for days now.

She’d come home without saying a word to him and had locked herself in there without so much of a fuss. John could feel her anguish through the walls, a dark shadow settling (mostly figuratively, mind you) over his flat. He’d received the call from the Bat’s butler yesterday.

About the boy.

The villain.

The loss they were all experiencing at the moment.

And the only thing John knew he could do for his girl, was to make some food for comfort, and to bring in an old favorite for reading.

He wasn’t a praying man, but he’d sent up a silent plea that her door would be open as he knocked before entering.

“Raven, luv, I’ve got something here for you.” She rolled over in her bed, away from the light in the hall. John could see wadded tissues littering the floor. A half-empty glass was sitting on the nightstand, and John sighed in relief at the indication of some form of rehydration.

He set the waffles on the nightstand for her, clicked the lights on low, and settled into the chair across from the bed. He opened the book to the first page.

“It’s a funny thing about mothers and fathers,” John choked out, feeling her emotions pressing on him more fully than before now. Taking a breath to steady himself, he pressed on, “Even when their own child is the most disgusting little blister you could ever imagine, they still think that he or she is wonderful…”

He read on even as she slowly turned to face him. His eyes flickered up when she finally took the first waffle from the pile, though it had long since cooled. And he hadn’t stopped until Raven had corrected his phrasing on a key scene.

“You’re saying it like the movie,” she accused, “You used to say it differently when you read it.”

He smiled sadly, handing the book to her. “How about  _you_  read it for  _me_  this time, then?”

And though he could feel it difficult for her, she gently took the book from him.

And eventually, she found her voice.


	16. "None of us ever really knows our fathers"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kid Gorgeous quote prompt. John Mulaney's def a Big Inspiration i'd say

The first thing Zatanna did when she awoke was wipe the tears from her eyes. The dream had started out pleasant enough, she was sure, but all of it had been forgotten. Except the echo of her father’s presence. An urgent warning from him.

A prophetic dream?

Highly unlikely. Those tended to leave lasting impressions well after one woke.

She wiped away another tear that welled up. She could tell she was still upset, but she couldn’t pin-point why. What had happened in the dream to leave her feeling this way?

Maybe it was seeing her father after so long, and missing him had brought back these feelings. She had briefly shared a bit of her childhood with Raven yesterday. It had probably been so subconsciously buried…

No, even working through the logic of why the dream had occurred wasn’t helping to push away this hole in her chest, or stop the tears from welling up nearly as soon as she wiped them away. She sat up fully and breathed deeply.

That’s when she heard the soft whimper from the room next door, and it all clicked into place.

Raven had had a nightmare. Again.

Out from her bed like a bullet, she rushed to open her daughter’s bedroom door, taking in the sight of it. Her shelves shook with every sob, the clock on her nightstand cracking and enveloped in her dark energy.

Zatanna wasn’t much one for maternal instincts, but she was a fast learner. She made quick work of scooping the eight-year-old into her lap, wiping away the girl’s tears and running her hand along her back.

“He has her,” she sobbed, “He has Mother and it’s all my fault. It’s my fault.” She repeated it over and over, almost like a mantra. The magician only shushed her, holding her tighter with each cry.

“Who? Who has her Raven?” It was more than likely just a dream, a nightmare brought on from something she read or saw or-

“Fa-father,” she whispered. The glassy look in her misty eyes sent a shiver up the sorceress’ spine.

“It was only a nightmare, my little blackbird,” Zee tried reassuring her, “There’s no way to tell if a dream like that will come true-”

“No, I know him-” the girl shook her head as another sob racked her body-“I know what he’s- what he’s capable of,” she hiccuped, “He has her. And it’s my fault.”

“None of us ever really know our fathers,” Zatanna chuckled humorlessly. She ought to know. There’d been one too many of Giovani Zatara’s secrets coming back to haunt her in the past two years alone…

She held her daughter tighter at the thought, and as another whimper left the magician with more tears welling up in her eyes. Understandable projections, but she’d have to remind the girl to reign them in soon. It was already exhausting her, all of this fear and longing and abject horror.

“Walk me through the nightmare, Raven. Let’s sort out whether it was really real or not, hmm?”

The girl sniffed, feeling the comfort and security that Zatanna was trying to project for her. “Well… it started with a picnic. In Central Park, but it wasn’t really like New York?…”

Little by little, she described the surreal aspects of the nightmare. It was an amalgamation of anxieties of the past and for the future, mingling in the dystopia of a young empath’s subconscious. A dangerous place to manifest, there was no doubt about that. But as Zatanna began pointing out the little inconsistencies for her, and the little details that made the dream less and less based in reality, the calmer she became.

And the more reassured that her nightmare had been just that.

The magician let out a yawn as she glanced back at the clock, the hour hand clicking just past the four.

“Well, my rehearsal tomorr- er, _today_ isn’t till one…” She trailed off, running a hand through the girl’s black hair as she drifted between thoughts, “If you’re feeling up to it, how about we sleep in and have brunch?”

The girl opened her mouth to make a suggestion, and Zatanna only laughed, “Yes, you can have waffles. But you’re eating something _substantial_ with it!”

Raven smiled in satisfaction, yawning as she settled back against her mom. “Will you stay with me till I fall asleep?” she whispered.

Zatanna hesitated before nodding. “Sure. I’ll help keep the nightmares away, blackbird.”


	17. On Again, Off Again

Raven turned over in bed, placing her pillow securely over her ears and focusing on her breathing. In. And out.

“- _because it’s NEVER about you, is it? it’s always_ -”

With the flicker of blue and yellow neon from the signs across the street, she tried to pull up her shields once more with each intake, and let go of those negative energies with each push out.

In. Out. Pillow over the head. Listening to the breathing. Not to their voices.

In, and out.

“- _if SOMEONE had just LISTENED to me in the first_ -”

It only half worked.

Turn over in the bed again. Face the wall. Focus on the paint in the dark. Blue, yellow. Blue and yellow.

In. Out.

“- _and that’s just RICH coming from_ -”

But the memories were already flooding in again.

…

The first time they fought, she remembered the fear the most. How Zatanna had feared her, and the unknown that she represented. The fear that Constantine held as he set his foot down, making his stance clear and yet worrying obsessively over the choice he had made.

She was only six, but she knew since her initial arrival only months before, that that was the first time she’d come between them. When they got back together soon after, she’d hoped it would be the only time.

There’d been no yelling then. Just quiet anger that seemed to fade with time.

…

Two years later, they’d begun drifting apart. Constantine blamed Zatanna’s tours. Zatanna blamed John’s drinking.

She’d heard their true thoughts in the soft hours of the night, when nightmares and emotions ran high and broke through her sleep. When they thought they were safe and free to talk with friends or acquaintances.

Usually, John would be on the phone with Chas. Catching up and casually dropping anecdotes like spare change, it wouldn’t take long for him to become embittered. A resentment would seep through the walls of his flat. Something projected out with reckless abandon that she could feel the full brunt of.

Something that she was usually able to shake off only by the morning, when her dad had finally fallen asleep.

And when she stayed with Zatanna, the magician seemed fond of inviting her stagehand, Mickey, to her studio. The same routine, easing into impassioned soliloquies about frustrations and resentments. 

It never really mattered who vented to who, it’d been the same conversation and same feelings.

How much they claimed to miss the other, at first. But after peeling back a few layers, they’d reveal their deep-rooted discontent.

An animosity that she knew must only be for her. For who else could cause such a rift between two people who once loved each other so?

That had been their longest running separation.

Until Arkham Asylum had changed everything once again.

…

They’d had a few breaks since. Nothing as serious as that nearly year long distancing had been. But plenty of moments when emotions began to run high. And when they’d taken a step away from one another.

It was almost routine for Raven by that point.

Stay with Mom for this month. Spend a weekend with the Sirens. John and Zee would miraculously sort themselves out for weeks or months at a time before separating for another week.

Stay with Dad for that time. Spend another month or two with the Titans. Her parents would sort themselves out once more.

They were both self-proclaimed rolling stones. Able to move and adapt to any area they chose to call home. And Raven had found stability in those she chose to call friends. Those she would choose to call family.

Were it not for this first family that she was determined to keep somewhat together, she may have stayed with them more permanently. And may have stayed somewhat sane.

…

The seventeen year old felt her anger overcome her then. A red feeling spreading from her core to her limbs. The freezing burn of her powers flowing quickly after it, and sparking dangerously into flames as she ripped the pillow from her head.

Even the clenched fists could not be placated by the soft mass of down feathers and smooth fabric.

Their voices quieted for only a few seconds before picking up again with relentless fervor.

“ _Great! You felt that? You woke up Raven with your yelling_!”

“ _MY yelling? Have you_ -”

“Enough!  _Enough already_!” she snarled, teleporting directly into the kitchen where they’d shared so many memories. She couldn’t remember the last time they’d made a happy one there, though.

“I’m staying the rest of the night with Cass,” she sighed, “Since you two only seem to work your  _shit_  out when I  _leave_.”

The two sorcerers gave her a puzzled look, turning sheepishly to one another before the occultist spoke up.

“What do you mean, when you  _leave_ , luv?”

“You know damn well, what I mean,  _Dad_ ,” she spat out the name, as if to rid the taste of it from her mouth.

“No, we don’t. Raven, honey, if this is about-” Zatanna reached forward to place a hand tenderly on the teenager’s shoulder. Raven shrugged it away, pulling further away from them. Zee mirrored the movement in kind.

Space for distance. Distance from emotion. Just like they’d practiced a hundred times over. For situations that became all too overwhelming, or had the potential to be.

For situations like this.

“If this is about the falling out John and I are having right now, I need you to know its not your fault, Raven.” Her sadness weighed even further on the empath’s periphery, and Raven did her best to block it out again. The guilt of her adopted mother was nothing compared the guilt she was trying to push away from her own self.

What was Zatanna even trying to get at? Of course it was her fault! It always had been.

“However our relationship falls apart or mends back together… It has nothing to do with you, sweetheart,” John added, “We only want what’s best for you.”

“Then why do you only get better after you’ve sent me away?” Tears began spilling over. She wanted to kick herself as she heard her own voice crack.

Dammit! She was almost an adult! She shouldn’t even be dealing with this shit!

And yet, here they were, trying so hard not to place the blame on her and falling so short of actually amending this damage.

“God! Will you just  _listen_  to us, Raven!” John began raising his voice, incredulous to what he was hearing. “It has nothing-  _NOTHING_  to do with you! It’s  _our own damn fault_!”

“John, could you  _please_  try to not be an  _ass_  for just  _one_  minute and  _bring. Your voice. Down,_ ” Zatanna gritted out the last phrases from clenched teeth. “ _This_  is why she-”

“ _Don’t_  you start again!”

“Will you  _please_  just let me finish  _once_  before-”

They began arguing over each other once more, and Raven let an annoyed huff escape as she made her exit.

The walls to her room seemed all too thin as she made her call.

“Cass? It’s me. Meet you at the Clocktower after your patrol? I need someone who’ll  _listen_ to me _._ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one had helped me work thru some things tbh... (follow up chapter coming up next, immediately)


	18. Catharsis

Cassandra made the final grapple to the roof of the Clocktower. The access hatch was in sight, but her heart simply would not stop hammering in her chest as she slid down into the Oracle’s inner sanctum below.

She’d given Raven the direct line to her comm for emergencies. Both physical and emotional. And she knew just from the sound of her girlfriend’s voice, that distinct  _huff_  of breath that the empath had with those  _certain_  words, that something had been stewing far too long in her brew of feelings.

And it was about to boil over.

She’d been more than a little shocked as she slipped down behind Babs at her station, only to be greeted by a hug from behind. More a tackle, really, with how quickly the arms had been thrown around her body.

Cass felt her girlfriend’s relief and frustrations flooding through her system all at once, and breathed through the emotion with her.

“Glad to see you too, Blackbird,” the Bat greeted as she patted Raven’s arm. Babs finally broke away from her screens and turned in her chair to address them.

“Dick said he’d pitch in if Bruce needs back-up tonight, so unless we get three super-villains striking at once, you’re good to take the rest of the night off, Cass. You’re both welcome to take Cass’ room,” she turned herself back around with a small, knowing smile on her face, “Don’t think I ever threw out your toothbrushes or PJs, by the way. Everything should be there for you two.”

“Thanks Babs,” Raven called as she took her girlfriend’s hand and led her to the elevator.

Just as Cass suspected, too emotionally compromised to teleport them down that short distance to Babs’ apartment below.

This was going to be a long night.

…

“-And it’s not like it’s anything  _new_  either!” Raven rambled as she paced in front of the bed. Cass was laying back on a pillow, nodding along and listening intently.

Vent time was always first. Sorting time, second. Comfort time, third. It was a very simple matter to break down her thought process, including the cues for when each part would occur. Pacing was a big part of the first part.

Raven took a pillow from the bed then, hugging it close as she took a seat across from Cass, who sat up straighter in return.

Feeling sorting time, meaning they were that much closer to being done with this whole mess.

“I mean, they’re still my parents. And some part of me already knows that their relationship has nothing to do with me but-”

“Still feels like you’re… part of it?” Cass ventured. No time to sign, Raven’s eyes were darting to every other corner of the room as she tried to find her way out of her own feelings.

The empath nodded mindlessly at the thought. “Yeah. I mean, they’ve been together for as long as I can remember. Other than that big fight when I was 8… And then-”

“Then when you were 10. And then 12, then 13, and 13 again, and 14, and-”

“Okay, point taken,” she pushed Cass’ shoulder as they both laughed. “Maybe they’re just too toxic for each other and don’t want to admit it, then?” she wondered aloud.

It was a question definitely beyond Cassandra’s scope of understanding. Sure, she’d wondered how two people who held so much obvious  _passion_  for each other, yet seemed to swing wildly between those positive and negative extremes, had managed to stay together so long. But it was a mystery for another time.

She took Raven’s hands in her own then, demanding the empath’s undivided attention. As indigo eyes finally met hazel, Cass spoke in low tones, barely above a whisper.

“It’s not your problem, Raven,” she said, taking her hands to gently cup either side of the mage’s face as she repeated the phrase. “Their relationship is not your problem.”

She could see those eyes misting over, turning violet, then finally a deep, royal purple as tears began falling. But she kept pressing on, repeating the phrase, a new mantra for her girlfriend.

“Their problem isn’t yours to fix. You don’t have to fix it for them,” she said, feeling her own tears spilling over as Raven projected out her sorrow, but her voice remained steady. A bit of a variation each time. Sometimes a pause as she tried to remember her phrasing, tried to keep her words straight.

The words weren’t nearly as important as the feelings and the comfort she was trying to express directly to Raven now, and it seemed to be getting through.

Because all of this sadness that had been weighing her down, finally began to be clear as they embraced. With each sob that shook her body, Cass could also feel a bit more acceptance. A bit more of understanding. A new sense of freedom.

She ran her hand through Raven’s hair then, detangling her gently curling locks as she continued to murmur comfort and reassurance.

Cass gently pressed a kiss to her forehead as she began to calm, holding her even tighter as those waves of sadness finally ebbed away. A storm finally passing. The pot finally simmering down once more.

And finally,  _finally_ the empath was calm once more.


	19. One of the (Bat)family

Despite most outward appearances, Bruce loved his children. Sure, they were loud, and brash, and disobedient, and immature, and-

Well,  _for the most part_  he loved his kids.

He just had so very few opportunities to tell them so. And even fewer to work with so many of them all at once.

And this particular October night was a rare spectacle indeed. For most of that special little bat-family was gathered in that sacred cave.

He turned from away from the bat-computer’s main monitor as Oracle’s icon finally disappeared to reveal Barbara herself, sitting in the Clocktower with Stephanie and Harper at her sides. All of them ready for the mission assignments that the Bat had in mind.

He gave a rare smile (more of a smirk, really) as he looked over those gathered in his cave.

“To ensure no one will be stepping over another’s case tonight, I’ve called you all here for these assignments. Oracle will reassign you as she sees fit for if or when new information comes to light. If everything goes according to plan, this should be a very productive night for us all. First up,” he turned back to the screen. Steph was nearly bouncing in excitement.

“Batgirl, Bluebird, you two will be running patrols in Central Gotham, the Islands. Start from the north of Bleake and be on stand-by for whoever needs you.” Harper adjusted her mask before nodding. Steph stopped bouncing as she registered just how boring her night might turn out to be.

Bruce turned back to his family, starting with his youngest son at the end, and moving slowly to the boy’s left. “Robin will be with me on a cold case to brush up his detective skills-” Damian left out an annoyed huff, but didn’t argue. For which Bruce was grateful.

“Nightwing, Black Bat, you’re to follow up on that intel about those drugs coming in from Blüdhaven.” Dick nodded, while Cass gave Bruce a quick thumbs up, a smile playing on her lips. “Follow the chain of command as high as you can here in Gotham, we’ll start tracking where it’s being distributed tomorrow night.”

“Red Robin-” “Yum,” everyone sang. Bruce sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, but continued without otherwise missing a beat. “-you’ll be tracking those Arkham escapees with Signal. Decide amongst yourselves which ones you’ll take on.” As Tim turned to Duke to start a rock-paper-scissors match, Bruce realized he’d skipped someone and tried to amend his assignment list.

“Raven, you’ll be-” The Dark Knight did a nearly comical double take as his eyes scanned back to where the empath had materialized between Cass and Tim, fully registering her intrusive presence. Everyone else turned to face the unexpected guest in similar suit.

“Excellent timing, Rae,” Jason quipped, “I wasn’t looking forward to-”

“I need help. Anyone who can be spared for the night,” Raven said, stepping forward from the group. With her street clothes on, she stood out like a sore thumb compared to each of the costumed heroes surrounding her. “Dad was being a dumb-ass again. Mom wasn’t able to stop him, and now they’re both in a lot of trouble. And it’s also one of  _your_  rogues’ fault.” She pointed accusingly at Batman.

“Rescuing Zee and Constantine? Sounds like fun, Blackbird,” Kate sauntered in from the hanger, late, and only just pulling on her wig and cowl, “Where do I sign up?”

“Batwoman,  _you’re_  supposed to be on  _holiday_ ,” Bruce growled. She continued on, ignoring her cousin’s glare.

“They’re ’ _off_ ’ now, right? And isn’t  _Zatanna_  between tours-” “Katie, honey, you really need to let that crush  _go_ ,” a sultry voice piped up, “Frankly, it’s  _embarrassing_.”

Selina climbed down from the stairs just behind them, and Jason let out a short bark of a laugh before being elbowed by Duke.

The Bats were just  _crawling_  out of the woodwork tonight.

“Look, can one of you help me or not? We’re on a bit of a  _deadline_  here,” Raven huffed. “Emphasis on  _dead_.”

“I’ll do it,” everyone piped up in unison.

And already for a second time that night, Bruce found himself pinching the bridge of his nose in an effort to relieve his growing headache.

Leave it to the  _one_  bird in all of Gotham that was capable of taking his own family away from him.


	20. "Don't tell them I said that about them!"

Zatanna knew from the curious eyebrow that Alfred had quirked after dropping her daughter off at her magic shop, that she was in for quite the story.

The eight-year-old practically bounced with every step, brimming with excitement, and more than likely with sugar as well.

“-And then Dick jumped from the chandelier to the landing, and Babs didn’t think he’d make it, but he did!” she rambled, eyes lighting up and hands gesturing wildly. “And then we tried to climb up, but Mister Alfred stopped us. And Babs started showing us stunt videos and Dick could do all the same flips. And then-”

The magician wanted to shake her head, listening to the antics that they had gotten up to during their little impromptu sleepover at Wayne Manor. But she was grateful that the girl had been returned no worse for wear, and with a very interesting tale to tell.

“-and Dick is just so funny. And Babs is just so smart. And they’re both just really cool. And I really like them. And I really like hanging out with them, and-”

The sorceress’ ears perked up at that, and she gave her daughter a smug, knowing smile then. Satisfaction ran through her grin as Raven’s face went flush, understanding dawning at what her mother was thinking.

“Oh? So you  _really like them_ , huh?”

“No, Mom, don’t tell them that I said that about them!” Raven immediately protested, knowing exactly where her thoughts were heading. “They’re just really nice, and they teach me stuff, and- and-” she stuttered for second, at a loss of how to dig herself out of the hole she just made.

“Me-thinks  _you’ve_ -” Zatanna booped the girl on the nose- “got a bit of a crush on the two of them, my little blackbird.”

“I do not!” the young empath pouted, crossing her arms as she settled onto the stool across from the shop’s counter. Zatanna only leaned on the glass as she mirrored the girl’s pose, grinning even wider as she practically felt the girl’s denial radiating from her tiny form.

“It’s perfectly fine to have crushes, Raven,” she tried reassuring the girl, “They’re both very nice kids.”

“Yeah… they are…” She let the thought trail off as she began fiddling with the card deck Zee always kept on the counter, shuffling at first like John had taught her, then practicing her reshuffling like Zee had. The first was simple sleight of hand. The second had a bit more  _practical_  magic thrown in, as they liked to call it.

She didn’t bother turning as the shop’s bells chimed and a few patrons began milling about in the store. Excited whispers were exchanged as they recognized the titular magician who’s name hung over the shop’s entrance, who was standing at the counter.

“Give me a moment, dear. My  _audience_  awaits,” she squeezed the girl’s shoulder before greeting her fans. Signing autographs and answering questions, all part of the celebrity of being such a beloved act. The girl felt her face flush again when Zee motioned to  _her daughter_  sitting at the counter and felt the sorceress’ pride swell with the words.

She tried focusing on shuffling the deck for a fifth time, determined to get the right sequence and sleight this time.

She needed to bring something to the table, after all, for the next time she’d see those batkids. They were each just so astonishingly impressive in their own rights, and they’d had so much to show her! It was time to start repaying that in kind.

And what better way than with some  _practical_  magic?

“You’ll wear a hole in those cards, thumbing them like that,” Zatanna interrupted her shuffling as her fans left to look about the shop some more. “You’ve got to keep them loose if you’re ever going to take that trick on the road.”

Raven whipped her head up, eyes going wide. “How did you-”

“Because I was the same way with my first crush,” her mother laughed. “Had my dad show me every card trick he knew and even tried to learn a few spells to make some of them easier. If I remember right, I think we just ended up playing  _52 pick-up_  because I was so nervous.” She smiled fondly, gently taking the deck from the girls hand and manipulating it with a showman’s finesse.

“It’ll take you at least another few weeks, if not months, to get it down, Raven.”

“I don’t HAVE weeks!” the girl whined, “Babs is having another sleepover next week, and I GOTTA have  _something_  to show them!”

“Well, if your  _friends_  are worth your time, I’m sure they’d be just as equally impressed by the basics that you’ve already mastered.” The girl let out a groan of frustration at the thought, and Zatanna only smiled wider.

This magician wouldn’t be revealing all of her secrets to the girl _just yet_.


	21. Shovel Talks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zatanna has a chat with each of the Robins about Raven.

For the first Robin, she’d been cautious.

“She’s taken quite a shine to you and Barbara,” the magician had begun. She’d watched the thirteen-year-old cough on the drink he had taken, careful to wipe his spill off his tux as he composed himself.

Another gala, another minor embarrassment to cover up.

“Raven? Yeah, she’s been an awesome friend-”

“We both know she thinks of the both of you as more than friends,” Zatanna said. Best to gently rip the band-aid off in these matters.

Dick nodded in understanding, “She knows I’ve been dating Babs for awhile now. And we’ve all…  _talked_ about it. I mean not in so many words but-”

“But does she  _understand_? That you and her, or her and Barbara, won’t ever-”

“Honestly, Zatanna, I think you need to give Raven more credit,” Dick glared, “She knows how she feels, and she accepts what she can’t change. If you’d just talk with her, she’d tell you so herself.” And with that final word, he excused himself to join the girls on the dance floor, cutting in between them as the song changed from one rhythmic tune to the next.

And she’d stood there, mouth agape, not knowing what to do next.

…

For the second Robin, she’d been brutal.

“Jason- Would you mind if I call you Jay?” the sorceress asked politely as she poured both of their drinks. The fourteen year old fidgeted nervously in his seat, feeling like the guest in the very same tower that he’d called home for the better part of that year.

“When I’m in  _costume_  like this, I’d prefer Robi-”

“Here’s the thing, Jay,” she cut him off as she set the cup in front of the teen, “Raven is… a sensitive soul. She won’t admit her own feelings aloud, because she’s spent so long understanding and pushing away everyone else’s. Sometimes, she needs someone to gently correct her. Often, she needs someone just as stubborn as she is to stand up to her. But most of all,” she leaned forward in her seat, “She needs someone who will stand by her side through the absolute  _rollercoaster ride_  that her emotions and her powers will take them through. And in this metaphor, this isn’t a rollercoaster that you get to quit after a couple rides.  _Do you understand me, Jay?_ ”

“Uhhh,” he hesitated too long in answering her, and Zatanna pressed on.

“Because no matter who it is that she chooses to spend her time with, if I or Constantine find out that she’s had her heart broken, there will be  _no mercy, no trial, no redemption_. I don’t care how  _romantic_  or how  _considerate_  you may have been in the past with her.” Even under the mask, Robin began blushing a bright shade of tomato red. “And I definitely don’t care how great of a  _detective_  Batman thinks he is. Even he will never be able to track down where your body is buried,  _capisce_?”

“ _It’s not like that!_ ” he argued for a moment, stilling as Zee held up a solitary finger in command of silence.

“So are you trying to tell me that you  _didn’t_  kiss my daughter at the last Watchtower Halloween party?”

The blush spread from the boy’s face to his neck as he quietly amended her accusation. “She, uh…  _she_ kissed  _me_.”

…

For the third, she’d been honest.

“They were…  _close_ ,” she had admitted to Tim at the gathering.

Not quite a party, not quite a briefing. Just a gathering of heroes residing in Gotham. A reassertion of the Bat’s authority and rules for those who wished to operate in his city. Constantine always managed to skip town around these things, and she was resigned to using them as an excuse to mingle, if nothing else.

Especially given the horrors that Bruce had been through the past year. Losing a son, and then nearly losing his city.

The magician eyed the thirteen-year-old with skepticism. He seemed so much smaller compared to Jason, not even counting their age difference. But his eyes were inquisitive, thoughtful. He’d proven himself time and time again that year. And had certainly impressed Raven enough for her to mention him more than a few times since.

And she could tell from the way the boy’s eyes followed her daughter in that room, that she’d impressed him as well.

“But from what she’s told me,” Zatanna said, stepping into his line of sight and demanding his attention in doing so, “I’d venture a guess that her heart lies with Batgirl.”

Tim only nodded once as he agreed, “I think you might be right about that.” He glanced only once more at the empath, before excusing himself.

’ _Certainly a Robin to keep an eye on_ ,’ the mistress of magic thought idly to herself.

…

For the fourth, she’d been gentle.

The fifteen-year-old had been so obviously admiring both Batgirl and Raven for some time. She’d heard from her daughter more than once how distracting Stephanie could be on patrols, and how frustrating it had been, trying to decipher who Robin’s feelings had been for.

And so Zatanna, meddlesome as always, had invited Steph to coffee under the guise of spending a  _Girl’s Day_  with her. Only to quickly discover just how chatty the teen truly was. Like night and day compared to the objects of her alleged affections.

Alleged, which quickly turned to  _confirmed_  as she spilled her feelings for the two older girls just as thoroughly as she spilled her coffee in the attempt to take back the confession.

“I mean, I don’t  _like-like-like_ them!” she explained while dabbing at the tabletop with one too many napkins. “I just  _like-like_  them. I mean-”

“It’s a crush, right?” Zatanna asked and took Steph’s pause at the question to command a clean up, “ _Dellips eeffoc og otni eht hsart_.”

“When you get right down to it? Yeah, I guess it is,” Steph admitted before chuckling nervously.

“And you  _do_  know that they’re-”

“Dating  _each other_  right now? Yeah, but…” Steph sighed before smiling sadly, “A girl can hope and dream till then, right? Or at least till someone else comes along? I mean, that’s how I got over  _Tim_ … By focusing on my feelings for  _Cass_ , and then moving on to  _Rae_ …”

And finally, something clicked for the magician then. Of how her daughter had felt over the Bat’s first two sidekicks, and how she’d seemed all the better when Jason had come along.

She felt a lot better, though still minorly concerned over what the girl hadn’t shared with her over the years.

But for now, she let Steph ramble some more of feelings both past and present, and smiled at the thought of this hyperactive, waffle-loving teen possibly trying her chances with her daughter. Something  _entertaining_ , nonetheless.

…

For the fifth, she’d been curt.

Like history repeating itself, but with reversed positions, this current Robin had become very obviously infatuated with Raven. Damian’s puppy dog eyes had been trailing her as she switched dance partners among his siblings more than a few times throughout the evening.

And just like with his eldest brother before him, Zatanna had found an opportunity when Damian was relatively alone to deliver the unfortunate news.

“She’s too old for you kid,” she gently chuckled, “And to top it off, she’s taken. I’d suggest you stick to your own age group.”

The ten year old tutted at the magician’s remarks, stalking off with much grumbling under his breath.


	22. Kiss on... a scar

First thing in the morning, Cassandra could readily admit to not being the most coherent person. Which is why after sleeping in till noon, if her girlfriend was somehow also soundly sleeping beside her, she always elected to pepper her with an array of morning (well, noon) kisses.

Today, she chose to start at the empath’s shoulder, oh so slowly making her way down her arm. Raven had begun to wake by the time Cass had reached near her elbow, and hummed in approval as she lightly brushed the soft inside of her arm with even softer lips. The Bat took a pause by her slight wrist, however, when she noticed something odd on the mage’s hand.

With light, calloused fingertips, she traced the offending cross mark that had been burned into the skin of the half-demon’s right hand. Small, but also faint against her fair skin. Cass saw how uncomfortable Raven was starting to become at the pause, and took her girlfriend’s hand, pressing her lips in a firm kiss against the healed skin before her curiosity got the best of her.

“How did it happen?” she signed, giving Raven’s hand a loving pat.

“You’re going to laugh. It was actually kind of stupid,” Raven sighed. “It’s also a harsh reminder.”

The Bat sat up straighter in their bed, lifting her arm and pointing at one of the many scars adorning her skin. This one in particular, was an old bullet wound in her tricep, somewhere that had been just barely grazed.

“All of the ones like these were avoidable. But I wanted to prove myself.  _That_  is stupid.”

“You’re not stupid for wanting to show what you could do,” Raven argued back. She reached then for the hair that had fallen into Cass’ face, carefully tucking the offending strands away as the younger woman gave a bit of a glare. She left her hand behind to cup the Bat’s cheek, then. “Poor choice of words, I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine, but you still haven’t shared,” Cass pressed before reaching for Raven’s hand on her cheek and keeping it there once more for another kiss on her palm. Once again, over the offending mark that had made it’s home neatly between her thumb and index finger. Raven sighed at the movement, closing her eyes.

“I was seven. Constantine took me with him to a Catholic Church on an errand. We were going to get a lot, and I mean  _a lot,_  of water blessed. I was bored, and curious, and a very well-meaning nun wanted to show me the rosary. Didn’t even make it halfway through one ’ _Hail Mary_ ’ because as soon as her cross hit my palm, well…” She finally pulled her hand back from Cass’ face, left thumb massaging the spot where she recalled the searing of flesh.

“It was like… a red-hot iron. I’ve learned since that it’s not so much the words or the power itself that harms me, but rather when the one who wields it is trying to protect themselves. I’m positive she thought she was doing a service, trying to pray over whatever evil might’ve been weighing over me and my soul but…” Raven smiled ruefully, unable to meet Cass’ eyes, “Hard to account for a soul as black as mine.”

It was Cass’ turn to lift Raven’s spirit now. She carefully lifted the half-demon’s chin until amethyst eyes met hazel.

“Your soul is  _black_ , but that doesn’t… mean it’s  _evil_ ,” she said carefully, “You do your best every day. You made yourself more than what you were  _made for_.” Cass smiled sadly then. “Same as me.”

It was Raven’s turn to take Cass’ hand where she was cupping her face, laughing softly as she mirrored the Bat’s moves from before and kissed her palm in turn. “Love, that was cheesy, even for us.”

“You love it, though.”


	23. "Raven, meet Rose."

“Raven, meet Rose Wilson,” Jason said with a wave of his hand between the girls. “Rose meet-”

“Raven,” the empath held out her hand, noting how Rose only folded her arms in refusal to meet hers.

This notably warm February morning hadn’t been anything of note to the empath, other than the planned day that Jason had wanted to slowly introduce their final team member to the group. Raven had done her homework on the girl, naturally. She was the daughter of Slade Wilson, Deathstroke the Terminator, the sworn enemy of the Titans that came before them. As far as they were concerned, at the moment, he seemed to be in retirement from the life. And had cryptically asked Nightwing for a favor, to let his daughter join this next-gen team.

Jason wasn’t fond of calling them the NEW-New Teen Titans, but Raven couldn’t find a better classification for them yet. But as co-leaders, they’d settled on simply introducing themselves as Teen Titans. With Beast Boy staying on board, and newcomers Terra and Killowatt joining the crew, Raven thought they might actually stand a chance at making a new name for themselves.

But this new member was starting to throw a bit of wrench in how she imagined the team could play. There simply wasn’t a full enough profile on her yet about her powers or skill set. She was a wildcard, and Raven didn’t care for variables that couldn’t be accounted for.

“Nice outfit,” she snickered as her eye trailed up and down Raven’s ensemble. “Did your  _mom_  help you make it?”

“As a matter of fact, she did,” the half-demon adjusted her black arm sleeve before crossing her own arms over her chest to unconsciously mirror the girl’s posture. “Dad, too. What about it?”

The cloak had been the same one she’d arrived on earth with. A child’s size, that had been re-hemmed many times and further enchanted for protection by Constantine himself. The small satchel that hung securely on her hip had also been her dad’s suggestion, containing parchment for notes and a small vial of holy water. ’ _Better to have it and not need it, than need and not have,_ ’ as John had taught her. The top and pants had taken more inspiration from one of Zatanna’s very brief costume changes, a little while before Raven had arrived. All flowing blues and whites in design, but more formfitting than Zee’s had been. Not something that’d get caught in a trap, that much was certain.

Constantine, in a rare show of restraint, had only ever made one comment about her ’ _being ready for the Capes and Tights’ Pajama Parties_ ’ and suggested she think of other outfit ideas for when she wanted to join him on his investigations. For now, though, she was much more content with seeing just how  _super_ this whole superhero-ing thing really got.

Which, unfortunately, included learning how to team up with some less than desirable new teammates.

“Nothing,” Rose smiled knowingly. Raven was starting to wish she could’ve traded in her empathy for telepathy at that moment. What on  _Earth_  was this girl playing at? “Just seems like a bit of a throwback, doesn’t it? Kinda retro?”

Smugness, amusement, a guarded deflection. Not much to go off of, but she’d been taught better than to think the absolute worst of others.

But not so much better as to let this girl have the upper hand.

“You say that as if it’s a bad thing,” she accused lightly, “That’s pretty tough talk coming from someone who’s got a  _hand-me-down_  moniker and costume.”

Raven felt a twinge of satisfaction as the fourteen-year-old assassin’s jaw dropped open.

“Ouch, okay, not cool, little bird,” Jason whined, “It’s not  _our_  fault we have shitty older siblings to take good names from.”

“No one’s forcing you to keep  _Robin_ -”

“And last I checked,  _Ravager_  was a bad guy,” Rose smirked, “So, you’re welcome.”

“I never thanked you,” the empath pointed out bluntly.

“No, but you will,” Rose practically sang as she turned for the door. “We’ll be great friends, you and I.”

Not a promise. Raven recognized the self-assured tone her voice took on. It was a prediction. A dizzying one, all things considered, but one she felt more than inclined to believe.

After all, none of their other teammates had been able to quite match Raven’s sharp tongue, or interest, yet. None quite as well as Rose Wilson seemed to.


	24. Interview

She’d done a dry run with  _reporter-turned-talk-show-host_  Vicki Vale earlier that day. She was ready for most of the topics they’d be covering. Everyone else had done their best to prepare her for any curveballs that Vale could throw her way.

But in all her years of being both  _in_  the spotlight and  _hiding_  from it, there was never anything that could prepare Raven to face  _this_  particular celebrity.

“First of all, Raven,” Vale started after the quick hug for the cameras, a smile plastered on her face as they each took their seats, “I’d, of course, like to thank you for agreeing to this interview. I understand your family’s want for privacy. It’s truly a privilege having you here.”

“Well, I’d like to thank you for having me, Ms. Vale-”

“Oh please, call me Vicki!” she laughed along with the audience, and Raven only smiled politely, letting the hostess lead the way.

The best strategy: to play everything close to the chest, and keep all her aces up her sleeve. Just like John and Zee had taught her.

“So Raven, it’s my understanding that you’ve worn  _many hats_  over the years. Being a superhero, a magician, a socialite. How do you do it?”

“Certainly not by trying to do it all at once,” she admitted, earning another rolling chuckle from the crowd. An easy to please group, their good mood was already starting to calm her nerves. “But if I’m being honest, it’s something I’ve always had to balance. It’s… kind of  _the family business_ , so to speak.”

“Yes, we’ve all been enamored by Zatanna and her feats, on and off stage. Be honest with me, is your mother still mad at me for pestering her about her relationship with Bruce Wayne? You know  _I_ wasn’t the one who leaked those details about their _so-called_ friendship, but she should’ve known I was going to ask!”

“I wouldn’t be  _too_  sure… But I remember Dad was  _livid_  after that particular incident.”

“Speaking of, would you like to tell us a bit about him? I’m sure most of your fans are raving with curiosity about your family life.”

Raven bit her lip, considering her words very carefully. She’d never been absolutely set on what she wanted to say. She settled for another the partial truth.

“My dad is a man who likes his privacy, but I… honestly couldn’t have asked for a better father. He’s certainly not perfect, but he’s stepped up time and again when Zatanna and I have needed him. Their relationship’s always been a bit complicated, but there’s never been a doubt that they’ve always loved me and wanted the best for me. Although,” she stopped herself a moment, recognizing her rambling and smiling as if at a joke only she knew. “Things were very  _rocky_  between me and Zee at the beginning…”

…

A shop filled from floor to ceiling with crystals of all shapes, sizes, and colors, and similarly filled with people of all varying backgrounds. From young geology students, to self-proclaimed wiccans, to middle-aged rock collectors. Raven was only five years old, and in awe of the many patrons that milled about in the space before them.

Zatanna, wanting to slowly introduce Raven to larger crowds of people, gave herself a mental pat on the back for choosing such a perfect location.

Not as quiet as a library, but nearly just as calming.

Most crystals carried wonderful auras with them, many of which meant they were magically attuned to the world and environment around them. And they provided the perfect opportunity for Zee to bond with the girl, maybe even magically, in a way so different for them both.

Plus, if push came to shove, she’d be walking away with some excellent spell-casting fodder, at least.

The magician kept a close eye on the young girl as she milled about the shop, careful to avoid close contact with many of the other patrons but getting bolder as she went along. She crept closer to many of the tables, eyes alight with curiosity as different stones called to her. It was a siren song that Zatanna knew all too well, and one that she knew to tune out without a second thought.

But once a crystal calls to you, it was often very hard to turn away.

One such piece was a citrine obelisk, a dull orange piece that stood proudly on a shelf that was just slightly above the girl’s eye level when she stood directly next to it.

She turned back to where Zatanna was standing at the end of that aisle, picking up other quartz pieces and weighing them in her hands. The sorceress frowned at the price tags, muttering something under breath about colors and grades and karats.

Breaking out into a smile of understanding, Raven grasped for the stone that was much too out of reach. A hope in her heart and a smile on her face, as soon as she touched the crystal it began glowing and ringing with a power that nearly sent her toppling over herself in shock.

“Raven,  _stop_!  _What are you doing_?” The sorceress scolded the girl a bit too late, watching in horror as the stone tipped too far over to the side, and clattered noisily on the shelf. She sent a little prayer of thanks to whatever deity that was watching them, when it stilled and hadn’t shattered.

The orange light that continued emanating from it, however, had her raising an eyebrow at the girl clinging for dear life onto the shelf, trying her best not to slip onto the floor.

“Looks like you’ve formed a  _bond_ ,” she sighed, rubbing a hand over her face. “That’s enough crystal browsing for today… And probably for the month,” she grumbled under breath.

…

Raven shifted in her seat, uncrossing and recrossing her legs as Vale prepped to shift topics on her.

“What an adorable adventure! I had no idea!” she beamed, “ _Everyday magic_  in the smallest of ways. But what about the magic you performed on stage? Surely that must have all been merely smoke and mirrors? Especially during your debut as  _Zoey_?”

A practiced smile and a dismissive wave of the hand. A charm that she’d learned over the years from mother and father both.

“Trust me, you don’t want to really hear about  _that_ performance…”

…

“Presenting, for her  _world debut_!” Zatanna swept her hand grandly to stage right, where Raven was waiting in the wings, fidgeting as she adjusted her outfit in several places. She knew she must’ve looked like a near carbon copy of the magician onstage now.

“ _My daughter_!” The smoke pellet and flash were thrown, and Raven stepped in just as they had practiced. “ _Zoey Zatara!_ ”

As the smoke cleared, Raven adjusted her bow-tie with a smile, the waves of wonder and excitement from the crowd washing over her in a warm glow.

It was like honey, sweet and sticking all around her, something her empathy reveled in and magnified the more it tasted. And in that instant, all she wanted was more. If she’d had one thing to compare it to, it would be Constantine’s penchant for drunkenness. She could see herself already, becoming intoxicated on the wonderful vibes and love the crowd sent for her and Zatanna.

She took a bow as they clapped, attempting to focus on the routine they’d practiced so long for. The name of the game had been exceedingly simple, to mix magic and mischief, illusion with comedy, to make this first of many unforgettable shows.

“Thanks, Mom! I think I can take it from here!” the ten year old beamed, “ _Tah ot ym dnah!_ ” The older magician’s hat shot off her head into the girl’s waiting hand. She made a big show of adjusting it on her head, letting the oversized hat fall over her eyes, and enjoying the laughs she earned from the audience at her antics. She almost couldn’t help her smile, their mood was truly becoming infectious.

“You’ve still got a lot to learn before you’re ready to become a  _Princess of Prestidigitation_ , young lady!  _Nrut siht Nevar otni a tibbar_!”

And just as the young empath’s eyes widen at the spell, the whole stage went dark. The ill-fitted hat became a  _whole lot_   _bigger_  compared to this new body she had. One that was much  _whiter_  and  _fluffier_ than she expected.

 _This_  wasn’t supposed to be part of the routine…

…

“-In rehearsal she had me practicing sleight of hand and escapes. You know, the  _usual_  stage magic! The rabbit thing was  _never_  part of our rehearsal runs,” Raven said with a shake of her head, “But it’s a Zatara tradition; getting turned into a bunny, even if it’s  _only_ for opening night. And Zee wanted to make sure I felt like I was family. It’s something that I ended up being more grateful than angry over. And trust me,” she paused as she looked very seriously around at the audience, “I was  _very_  angry.”

“Oh, but I bet you were probably the  _cutest little_ -” Vicki started as her guest began narrowing her eyes mischievously.

“Are you sure you want to finish that, Vicki?” she challenged.

“ _Bunnies_  and  _business_  aside, then,” the host started after clearing her throat, “What about your time as a hero? Any adventures that you’d like to share with us before you go? Or how about those rumors about a…  _Secret, Magic Justice League_ that you’d like to help us clear up today?”

“Wouldn’t be much of a secret if I told you, now would it? Please, Vicki, don’t make me say that adage about  _magicians_  and  _secrets_.”

“You could say it  _backwards_ ,” she suggested, earning a laugh and even a smile from the empath.

“No, I don’t suppose I will… But… There was one little adventure. For my twenty-first birthday…”

…

“No. No way in Hell-”

“Well, it’s not  _in Hell_ , so there really shouldn’t be a problem there-”

“You know  _exactly_  what I mean.”

“ _Rachel Rhiannon Roth_ , I am your  _mother_ , and  _all I ask_  is that you let me celebrate your damn birthday with you! Can you just grant me that one simple request?”

“I thought these things were about what the _birthday person_  wants,” she moaned, running a frustrated hand through her hair. “The whole ’ _first drink_ ’ thing doesn’t even count now. You know Dad let me drink when I was-”

“ _Of course_  it counts, because we’re not going out for anything like the kind of  _swill_  that your dad, or the Titans, or even  _the League_  usually gets,” she winked conspiratorially, “We’re gonna treat you to real top-shelf stuff, Blackbird.  _Birthday girls_  get to  _party_  in  _style_.”

The empath paused for a moment, allowing herself to really reach for the emotions that Zatanna was sending out into the room. The barest hint of hope and longing, tinged with a fear that Raven could only guess the origin of.

Could she have been worrying about missing her chance to reconnect with her daughter? It  _had_  been a few months since they’d last spent any significant time together. Especially given how she’d taken on more and more of Constantine’s responsibilities with combating this ‘ _rising darkness’_  that had become more of an obsession in recent years.

Just as she opened her mouth for a quip, she heard her T-com chime off in her handbag, and Zatanna’s own phone  _pinged_  with an alert from the League database.

The older sorceress let out a groan. “Un- _freaking_ -believable.  _The Royal Flush Gang?_   _Right here_  in San Francisco?  _How is it_  that these supervillains always  _know_  when we’re trying to have fun? How the  _hell_ does that  _happen_?”

“I’ll let you know if I ever figure it out, okay?  _Otni rou smrofinu ew og_!” the empath chanted as her streetwear was swapped for her [favorite new uniform](https://dyketectivecomics.tumblr.com/post/178624226744/been-playing-around-with-ravens-possible-outfits). Black leather jacket over a white dress shirt and red tie, tucked into dance briefs. And just to complete the overall impractical, but certainly stylish ensemble, she simply had to sport fishnets and combat boots.

Zatanna playfully put her hat atop her daughter’s head. “There,” she said with a decisive nod as she adjusted her gloves, “Now you look  _perfectly_ ridiculous.”

“ _Thanks, Mom_ ,” she said sarcastically back, pulling the hat till it was secure. “I hope you know, you’re  _not_ getting this back now.”

“I’ve got ten more where it came from, kiddo.  _Wen tah, won esealp_.” Another hat materialized in hand, and Raven rolled her eyes.

“Of course you do.”


	25. Fruitcake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (follow up on mistletoe one-off + prompt from tumblr

Raven loved  _a lot_  of things about the winter. Despite the harsh dip in temperature, the world always seemed to make an even warmer glow around her. Whether that glow was found within the homes that lined this snow-covered avenue, or within the hearts of every resident huddled close together indoors, it was something that gave the greatest emotions an ever present  _zing_  during this time of year. Love and hope. Priceless feelings that too many took for granted. Feelings that she needed reminding of as they faced off against a rather unexpected foe. One that was armed to the teeth with one of her  _least_  favorite holiday staples.

If someone had told her she would be spending Christmas Eve hunting down one of Santa’s rogue elves to avenge her parents, with her girlfriend buzzing with glee at the chaos around them while sticking close to her side, Raven would have counted it at around the  _third_  strangest thing she had done that year.

(The second involved puppets and totally-not-copyright-infringing musicals, and the one that  _topped_ the list was almost too embarrassing to even  _think_  about. But we digress.)

Now as she dove behind a car next to Cass, with the most annoying of  _Santa’s Little Helper’s_  hurling insults between globs of fruit cake, she tried to recall anything helpful that Constantine might have mentioned in the past few days leading up to this confrontation of hers.

This whole mess really was that meddlesome magician’s fault, anyway…

…

She remembered Cassandra driving them to Zatanna’s apartment at the edge of Chinatown. A familiar route, even in such a wild state of distress; her regret lying the most in not feeling focused enough to teleport them there herself.

She was running into the building before Cass had even put the car fully in park, flinging off her coat and scarf as the harsh heat blew forcefully in her face. She took the steps two at a time, a few neighbors ducked quickly out of their way in the stairwell as the demoness in evening wear flew by them. Though she had a considerable lead, Cassandra was only steps behind her, giving good-natured, apologetic smiles as she passed.

Most of all, she remembered John opening the door, and her quiet rage as she took in the sight of his dangerous habit, and Zatanna’s unconscious body laying along her couch with the rest of her furniture and Christmas decor upturned around them.

Lights and stockings and holly that had been hung with considerable care, ripped violently from their places along the walls. The tree lay in splinters, with glass ornaments smashed into shards all around, a few were lodged in the walls, as if they’d been used as throwing stars. The glass jars that were meant to be filled with never-ending sweets atop the coffee table, now lay spilled, spoiled, or melted and staining the rug below.

“Deal was goin’ just fine, ‘til your mum stepped in,” Constantine explained before taking another drag of his cigarette, coughing on his own smoke in his haste. Raven could only roll her eyes at him as she pushed past to get to Zatanna’s side.

Cassandra followed in silently behind her, taking her girlfriend’s coat and her own and pushing them into Constantine’s arms with the meanest scowl she could manage.

Obvious to  _everyone_ , who was  _really_  to blame for this predicament.

“Mom, can you hear me? It’s Raven,” she murmured quietly, brushing aside the sorceress’ hair and taking one of her hands gently. She felt exhaustion and disorientation, but luckily no fear or acute pains from the magician. She placed her other hand more firmly against her adoptive mom’s feverish forehead, and took in some of the more immediate discomfort she could feel. Within a minute, Zatanna’s eyes shot open with a sharp breath and a coughing fit.

“ _Blackbird_?”

“It’s me, Mom. I’m here,” Raven reassured her, squeezing the sorceress’ hand again as she kept another firm one on her shoulder. “Don’t get up. Just tell me how Dad mucked things up  _this time_.”

“I resent that!” John called carelessly from the kitchen. Raven rolled her eyes again, but was grateful to hear more familiar mumblings as he set a kettle to boil.

Tea. Familiar, warm, wonderful tea could help to keep the peace tonight.

“You know your dad,” Zee said with a shaky smile as she started to relax back into the couch, “His heart sometimes gets  _dangerously_  into the right place.”

“No time for niceties, Mom. What did he  _do_?”

“ _Apparently_  some elves don’t just want to be dentists. They want a lot more,” she chuckled, “And your dad,  _in his infinite wisdom_ , was ready to strike a deal with one of them in exchange to making  _extra_ sure we all made the  _Nice List_. I’m sure you can figure out just how  _well_  that went, Blackbird.”

In the kitchen, the kettle gave it’s shrill whistle, and John carefully set out four mugs with various tea bags and instant hot cocoa packets around.

Cass wrinkled her nose as she gave a questioning glance for all of them, signing, ” _Water? With cocoa?“_ before taking one of the herbal teas instead. Everyone  _knows_  hot cocoa is better prepared with  _milk_ , after all.

“Where is it now?” Raven asked as John steeped their mugs as penance.

“Where else?” Zee laughed, “On it’s way back to the  _North Pole_. Your dad just unleashed an honest-to-god  _nightmare before Christmas_.”

…

That had been days ago. Tracking the elf’s path of holiday destruction had been a simple task. Minimizing said destruction was another one, altogether.

They were through playing catch up and putting out fires. Now it was time to face this deadly yuletide imp, and to make it pay for it’s crimes against the season of hope.

Pulling a shield over their heads as another _yucky, blucky fruitcake_  broke the car’s windshield and sprayed glass in their direction, Raven turned to see a wild grin on Cass’ face.

“You look  _eager_  to take this thing down,” Raven said, amusement finally seeping into her voice as she caught more of her girlfriend’s good mood.

“Been… itching for a fight since… we left Gotham,” Cass explained. “We’re finally getting one. A…  _fight_ before Christmas… The  _night_  before.” She leaned over to steal a kiss on the empath’s cheek before reaching to pull a batarang from her belt. “Ho ho,  _here we go_!” she laughed before ducking headfirst into the fray.

And all Raven could do was follow close behind, wondering just  _how on Earth_  she ever got so lucky to have such a  _ridiculous_  and  _wonderful_  bat fighting at her side.


End file.
